Cross coupler draft key retainer



y 11, 1933- s. L. JOINER CROSS COUPLER DRAFT KEY RETAINER Filed Sept. 24, 1931 Jwuentoz SyZresZer Z. Joiner;

Patented July 11, 1933 UNITED STATES SYLVESTER L. JOINER, OF SWEETWATER, TEXAS v CROSS COUPLER. DRAFT KEY RETAINER Application filed September 24, 193 1. Serial No. 564,929.

prevent the loss of the key while the train is running at a high rate of speed. Another object of my invention is to prevent the bending of the key and enable the draft gear cheek plates to wear. evenly at their top and bottom.

Another object is to enable the draft key to kick back near the center position, so that the impact of the train willbe more equalized to all of the draft gear parts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple,inex'pensive device which can be manufactured at no more expense than the devices that are now in common use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a retainer which will not in any way contact with the end sill of the car or draft gear parts or the center sills or the cheek plates or any rivet heads in the center sills of the draft gear attachment apertures.

lVith the above and other objects in view, a more clear understanding of my invention will be had by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of the center sills and draft rigging of a railroad car, with my improved key retainer attached to the draft gear key;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional viewon the lines 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a dis-assembled view proved draft key retainer.

of my im- 7 tionas applied to the coupler or draft keys of a common type of draft gear, 1 1 Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 indicates the usual coupler, and the usual center sills or beams are denoted by 0 the nu1nerals2 and 3; The centersills are In the drawin 1 have shown, In inven provided with the usual elongated apertures 4. The numeral 5 indicates the usual yoke member of the draft rigging, and 6 indicates a common type of draft keys. 'It is well 1 7, known that the draft keys 6 are provided at one end with a head 7 and adjacent the other end there is provided a circular aper'tureS.

My improved draft key retainer, indicated by the numeral 9, consists of a T-bolt having an'elongated fixed headlO and a body portion indicated generally by'the numeral'll The body portion immediately below the fixed elongated head is of round formation, as indicated at 12, and below the round portion of the body 12 the body assumesa noncir'cular formation as at 13. Ther e'is an eittension of the body portion as at 14 below said non-circularportion 13, and adjacent the end 1 of this extension there may be provided an opening 15 for a cotter pin. In' some inf stances it will be desirable to omit the cotter pin opening, v The numeral 16 indicates'a detachable or removable head which functions asv a'retain ing member. This detachable or, removable head is provided'with'a non-circular aperture l6 which is of, the same configuration as the non-circularbody'portion 13.- The detachable or removable head'is alsopreferably of the, same configuration asthe, fixed elongatedhe'ad 10. A suitable nut 17 and a lock nut 18 are adapted to secure or maintain the detachable or removable head116 in engagement with the non-circular body portion 13. g e5 It Will be understood that the round portion 12 ofhthe body is adapted forginsertion inthe aperture 8 of the draft key. It will be seen by referringto Fig. 2 that theround portion 12 extends substantially through the 9 opening 8 in the draft key 6 and is approximately fiush with the under. side of the draft key, as indicated at 19. The non-circularportion 13 projects below the under side 2O of the draft key 6 and permits the detachable or removable head 16 with its non-circular aperture 16 to be quickly and easily inserted therein and removed therefrom. After thevdetachable orremovable. head 16 has been placed engagement with the nonsubstantially of the same configuration as the fixed head 10, is also wider than the rounded portion 12, and projects considerably beyond the circumference thereof as in dicated at 22.

While I have shown the fixed head 10 as being substantially oblong or elongated, it is to be understood that this headmight be made of any suitable configuration. tachable or removable head 16 may also be made of any desired configuration. The non circular portion 13 has been shown as of rectangular formation, but this non-circular portion maybe formed oblong, triangular, hexagonal, square, or in fact it may assume any configuration other than round. The extension 14 has been shown 'as being threaded to receive the nuts 17 and 18, but this extension may be plain and means other than the nut 17 and'lock nut 18 may be used to maintain thep arts their assembled relationship.' i i i It is desirable to have the non-circular portion of the body of the bolt of a rectangular or other configuration,-which will permit of the application of the detachable or remove able head 16 only in true parallelism with the fixed head" 10. i In' other words, it is desirable that the twofiheads of the :bolt'a-lways be in true parallelism, and by halving the non-circular formation of a form which will permit only of such assembling, the two heads will always be assembled in' true parallel relationship. The formation of the non-circular portion will prevent the'detachable or removable head being assembled out of pa'rallelisnito the fixed head 10. By having the two heads of approximately the same size and configuration, in the event of the retainer being kicked against the center sill, the key will always be brought back to its proper position and hold the retainer 'or locking means against the center sill in a horizontal position. My improved draft key retainer will prevent the-wear oftheround portion of the body and it will always'retain its true'circular shape, and by having both of the heads of approximately the same size, I prevent the hole of the. cross draft key from wearing. oblong. t

A serious objection to the prior devices of this character has been thatthe round portion of the boltafter considerable use wears to a non-circular formation, and with the present use of cotter'pins with such devices,

The de r which overcomes all of the. disadvantages and objections to the former types of retainers for draft keys, and my invention is s1mple,1nexpens1ve and durable.

It will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

What I claim is:

' 11A draft key retainer "comprising a inserted in an opening in a draft key the lower portion thereof will be substantially flush with the lower surface of the draft key and the opposing surfaces of the said heads,

will engage. the upper and lower surfaces of the draft key, said detachable head being provided with an aperture opening'of noncircular formation adaptable for engagement with the non-circular portion of the body and maintained substantially parallel to said'fixed head, and means to'maintain said detachable head in engagement with said bodyf Q I 2. draftkey retainer comprising a T-bolt having an elongated fixed head adapted for engagementwitha portion of one flat side "of a draft key adjacent an end thereof wherein a circular opening is provided, and a bodywportion, the said body portion beingadapted for insertion and movement in the said opening and having its free endprojectingbeyond the other flatside of the draft key, and a detachable head of substantially the same configuration as said fixed head provided with an opening corresponding in shape to the said projecting'end of the body portion and engageable therewith, means for maintaining said detachable head on said projecting end of the body, and the distance between the two heads in their assembledfposition being substantially the same as the thickness of the draft key.. I

3. A draft key retainer comprising a T- bolt having an elongated fixed head thereon adapted for engagement with a portion of one fiat side of a draft key adjacent an end thereof wherein a circular opening is provided, and a body comprising a round portion, a non-circular portion and an extension from said non-circular portion, the said round portion of the body being dimensioned so as to substantially fill the said opening in the draft key and having the non-circular portion and its extension projecting respectively beyond the other fiat side of the draft key, a detachable head of substantially the same configuration as said fixed head provided with an opening corresponding in shape to the said non-circular portion of the 7 body and engageable therewith, means for maintaining said detachable head on the body, and the distance between the two heads in their assembled relationship being substantially the same as the thickness of the draft key. i

4. A draft key retainer comprising a T-bolt having an elongated fixed head adapted for engagement with a portion of one fiat side of a draft key adjacent one end thereof wherein a circular opening is provided, and a body portion, the said body consisting of a round portion, a non-circular portion and an extension from said non-circular portion, the round portion being of a size to substantially fill the said opening and the length of which is substantially the equivalent of the thickness of the draft key and having the non-circular portion and the extension projecting respectively beyond the otherfiat side of the draft key, a detachable head of substantially the same configuration as said fixed head provided with an opening engageable with said non-circular portion and main,- tained substantially parallel to said fixed head, means on said extension to maintain said detachable head in engagement with said body, and the distance between the two heads in their assembled relationship being substantially the same as the thickness of the draft key.

5. A draft key retainer comprising a T bolt having an elongated fixed head adapted for engagement with a portion of'one flat side of a draft key adjacent one end thereof wherein a circular opening is provided, and a body portion, said body consisting of a round portion adaptable for insertion and movement in the said opening in the draft key, said round portion being of a length substantially'the equivalent of the thickness of the draft key, a non-circular portion on the said body extending from the round portion and an'extension of said body from said noncircularportion of less width than the latter, and a detachable head of substantially the same configuration as said fixed head provided with an opening of non-circular formation engageable with ,said non-circular portion and maintained substantially parallel to said fixed head, means to maintain said detachable head in engagement with said body, and the distance between the two heads in their assembled relationship being substantially the same as the thickness of the draft key.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 24th day of September, 1931. SYLVESTER L. JOINER. 

